Is a major, major shakeup in the works at Bravo?
The Internet is abuzz with chatter that Kelly Dodd, Emily Simpson, Braunwyn Windham-Burke and Elizabeth Vargas are all being squeezed out of "The Real Housewives of Orange County."
A popular celebrity gossip Instagram account (with an impressive track record for accuracy) posted an anonymous tip indicating that Bravo producers are letting go the four women.
"Same friend also works at Bravo. RHOC shakeup is coming Kelly, Braunwyn, Emily, and Elizabeth are out. Tamra [Judge] will be back. Heather [DuBrow] and Alexis [Bellino] said no. They're trying to get Gretchen [Rossi] and her rich Newport friends but Gretchen won't return if Tamra's still on the show," the message read.
The shakeup, if true, isn't likely a surprise to the legion of "Housewives" fans. Last month, executive producer Andy Cohen hinted that change was in the air after Meghan McCain, a well-known "Housewives" devotee, called for an end to the Orange County franchise.
"I think you mean reBOOT," Andy tweeted.
Bravo has not commented on the new speculation.
Many fans have been down on "The Real Housewives of Orange County" recently, mainly due to the casting. Many "Housewives" aficionados haven't connected with Braunwyn, who recently came out as gay; other fans are displeased with Kelly over her controversial social media activity throughout 2020 and into 2021.
Last year, Kelly downplayed the coronavirus, even once calling it "God's way of thinning the herd." Not long after that, she celebrated the fact that few people were wearing masks at a local restaurant. In the fall, she wore a hat that read "Drunk Wives Matter" — which many thought mocked the Black Lives Matter movement — during her bridal shower. In 2021, after California re-opened outdoor dining, she and a group of friends went out for drinks. In a video, she and her crew toasted to being "super spreaders" of the virus, which has now claimed 500,000 American lives.
Kelly, for what it's worth, claims to be a "victim" of "cancel culture."
Interestingly enough, Kelly said she wouldn't return to the show if Braunwyn is back in the fold for the next season. In early February, multiple reports said Kelly expected to be fired from "Housewives."
If the social media speculation is true, Gina Kirschenheiter and Shannon Beador will be the only returning cast members for season 16 of "RHOC."